Reviews

Roo knows blue by Renee Treml

Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780143790327.
(Age: 1+) Recommended. From the cute kangaroo smiling at the reader on the front cover to the gorgeous flowers on the end papers this book is a joy to read aloud. Roo knows the colour blue but his friend Possum tells him that there are other colours too.
This is a fascinating and fun look at colours. The rhythm of the story will keep children listening avidly and they will have fun shouting out the refrain
Little Roo hops along,
hops along and
sings this song
Then they will enjoy telling Roo just what is the colour of the objects and animals that he has described.
The illustrations are a joy and children will love the expressions on the faces of Roo and Possum and the bright colours of the backgrounds. Roo stands out on each page, and the reader will have fun finding Possum among lovely details like the red flowers of Sturt's Desert Pea and the yellow of the wattle. The print is large and a bold black except for the highlighted colours of blue, red, pink, green, purple and finally a glorious burst of yellow.
This is a delightful way for young children to learn about colours while older ones will love the repetition and humour. All will enjoy looking for the colours of the different animals and objects and beautiful flowers in a second reading.
Roo knows blue is a keeper. It is sure to become a family favourite. Themes: Colours, Australian animals, Australian flora, Read aloud.
Pat Pledger

Eight princesses and a magic mirror by Natasha Farrant

Illus. by Lydia Corry. Zephyr, 2019. ISBN: 9781788541152. 209pp., hbk.
Mirror, mirror on the wall . . . what makes a princess excellent?' The enchantress's mirror travels through time, from east to west, to find the answer. Reflected in it are princesses who refuse to be pretty, polite or obedient. These are girls determined to do the rescuing themselves. The Arabian princess of the desert protects her people from the king with the black and gold banner; Latin American Princess, Tica, takes a crocodile for a pet; a Scottish princess explores the high seas; African Princess, Abayome, puts empathy and kindness above being royal; and in a tower-block, a Princess saves her precious community garden from the hands of greedy urban developers.
While the traditional princesses of familiar fairy tales still remain popular with many girls, others are demanding stories about those who are not helpless and dreaming of the handsome prince to rescue them and live happily ever after. So this collection of original stories about princesses who are bold, empowered, full of curiosity, adventure and determined to be true to themselves will appeal to those ready to move beyond Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora and company. With its relatively short meaty stories and full colour illustrations, it is perfect for newly independent readers and with the magic mirror connecting the stories throughout it has a continuity that encourages them to keep reading each new adventure.
Something different to entice readers into the library for a new year of reading adventures or to suggest to parents looking for something a bit different to share at bedtime.
Barbara Braxton

Tiny : a little dog on a big adventure by Steve Otton and Jennifer Castles

Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760876586.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. This breathtaking book of photographs of a trip around Australia will capture readers' imaginations as they follow the path taken by Steve and Tiny, his dog. The photos impel you to turn to the map at the front of the book, to see just where they went on their epic trip. Steve's photos tell a story of a man who goes off with only his dog for company, 'Let's go, matey', initially finding this enough, but as the trip goes on, other animals make their appearance, and eventually other people. His solitude is softened by the people he meets, until he says to Tiny, 'Let's go home, matey'. And the reader is satisfied that he has found some inner peace.
The photos are absorbing, resonating with images of the Australian outback, vast red sand hills, low scrub, to the seemingly never ending roadway, and animals they meet along the way. When he meets up with people, the photos come alive with possibilities, as Tiny likes to keep busy and help in the stockyards. But Steve doesn't seem to want to stay too long and so the pair moves on. Eventually they move back home, blow the cobwebs out in the house and settle back in.
The photos range from full page to several smaller ones on each page, but each will grab the attention of the reader as they pore over the details each reveal. Children will love finding clues in the text and photos to pin point the places on the map, and wonder again at the vastness of Australia, and the time it takes to get around.
The sparse text tells enough without being sentimental, we feel one with this lone man and his dog, searching for a peace that does not come easily. But his travels come full circle and satisfied, he returns home. A wonderful book to share when talking about being alone, about needing your own space, it also lends itself to talking about Australian people, animals and landscapes, introducing that topic in class, or simply as a stand alone book for kids to read about Australia. It is rich and absorbing and I see more in it each time I open its pages. Themes: Dogs, Companionship, Mental health, Australia, Journeys.
Fran Knight

Ninja bandicoots and turbo-charged wombats : Stories from behind the scenes at the zoo by Hazel Flynn

Piccolo Nero, 2020. ISBN: 9781760641672.
(Age: 9-12) This is a timely book for Australian children who may well be feeling distressed about the bushfires that are currently raging across the Australian continent and the subsequent plight of native creatures. (January 2020)
In each chapter of Ninja Bandicoots and Turbo-Charged Wombats, Hazel Flynn tells the story of a different creature. The reader learns about how zoo-keepers, biologists, scientists and other people (including citizen scientists and children) are working together to understand how to conserve these vulnerable Australian animals. In each chapter, the reader finds out about how people who work with these creatures have come to love them with all their quirky and endearing characteristics. Each chapter describes a particular animal's physical characteristics and behavior. The narrative is engaging, stories are told, fast facts are given, a particular random fact is highlighted on a page for each animal and each chapter concludes with a page entitled - "What can I do to help?" In the centre of the book there are coloured plates of each animal courtesy of Zoos Victoria.
Although some of the information on the status and risks to the animals is upsetting, Flynn is positive and the young reader is encouraged, invited and shown how to be proactive about the issues. This gives the young person a sense of efficacy rather than hopelessness.
Ninja Bandicoots and Turbo-Charged Wombats addresses the cross curricular priority of Sustainability. The classroom teacher can easily read a chapter or two as a springboard; the Science teacher would find this a useful and engaging resource for Biology.
The endangered Australian creatures highlighted are: Leadbeater's Possums, Mountain Pygmy Possums, Eastern Barred Bandicoots, Platypuses, Baw Baw and Corroboree Frogs, Tasmanian Devils, Wedge-Tailed Eagles, Helmeted HoneyEaters, Orange-bellied Parrots, Guthega Skinks, Wombats, Koalas and Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroos. Fascinating details about all these creatures are revealed through the stories of the people who work to conserve them.
An excellent, interesting, fact-filled and appealing resource book for ages 9-12.
Wendy Jeffery

Westwind by Ian Rankin

Orion, 2019 (c1990). ISBN: 9781409196051. 320pp.
(Age: Senior/adult) Recommended. Westwind was originally published in 1990 and was forgotten by most. But Rankin did hear from readers on occasion, who liked Westwind and so made a decision to revise and reissue.
Westwind is a thriller set in the 1990s when satellite and computer technology are still a little mysterious to most. Martin Hepton works in a tracking facility, with its latest target Zephyr a British satellite. It has been successfully launched from the shuttle Argos, but Argos has come down with loss of all but one life, the only Brit in the crew.
This is a time when, as now the political situation is unsettled. The Americans want out of Europe, however there are many both in Britain, Europe and the US who think the move fool hardy.
Hepton and another of the trackers, Paul Vincent, think there is something odd when they loose contact for longer than is normal with Zephyr. Hepton's sense of unease grows when Vincent is suddenly taken ill and removed to a hospital.
Dreyfuss, the lone survivor from the shuttle finds himself in an American hospital isolated, drugged and fearful for his future. He hopes for some help from the British Embassy, but it seems a long time coming.
Add to the mix a rather beautiful assassin, MI5, MI6 and US intelligence and the odd body the action ramps up as does the intrigue about what is happening and who is behind it all.
Westwind in the end is a reasonably satisfying spy come tech thriller. Those geeks into the latest technology may find it a bit lame, but for a Luddite like me it was fine. This is not a Rebus novel, Edinburgh is not its setting, but I can see why there was a push to reissue. There are parallels to situations now in the UK and Europe so perhaps a timely reminder of what may happen when politics goes wobbly. Themes: Thriller, Crime, Spies.
Mark Knight

The book of stone by Mark Greenwood

Peppa Pig : George and the Dinosaur

Penguin Random House UK, 2020. ISBN: 9780241392478.
(Age: Preschool) Recommended for fans of Peppa Pig series. Another one in the very popular series, this time the focus is on George who absolutely loves dinosaurs. With his friends Richard and Edmond, he digs in the playground and in the garden, hoping to find the bones of a dinosaur. Then Mummy Pig takes the children to the beach, where Miss Rabbits tells them about fossils. Little did anyone believe that George would discover a huge dinosaur fossils hidden in a big rock. What a stunning find!
As always, the book is illustrated in lovely bright colours and fans will love the sight of George dressed in khaki, carrying a magnifying glass and looking very professional as he searches for dinosaur bones. Children will learn about fossils and the different names of dinosaurs as Miss Rabbit takes the children along the beach, and they will have lots of fun making up a name for the dinosaur fossil that George has found.
A good choice for a read aloud, children will love the connection to the TV characters.
Pat Pledger

The year we fell from space by Amy Sarig King

Text, 2019. ISBN: 9781922268853. 272pp.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This deeply emotional narrative is told by Liberty, who draws us into her life as her family seems to her to be crumbling. When her father decides to leave his family, his two daughters are devastated. His wife seems to accept his choice as an expected one, and he assures them that his decision is for the best. It would be a wonderful book for both adolescent readers and adults, particularly parents and indeed for those who teach them, and is highly recommended for its beautiful writing and compelling sense of the important things in the world.
We learn about the world as perceived by Liberty, and we are drawn into her significantly intellectual rationalisation of their situation as she shares her world with the planets, the moon and stars, and most interestingly, with a meteorite that she found when it fell to earth. The wisdom that she grasps from this other world, and that she draws on from unexpected sources, helps Liberty to understand her situation and to cope with the changes.
Liberty's shining intelligence adds a special glow to the narrative, and as she relates the events, we are privileged to read about her daily life that is perceived through her astonishing level of understanding of the universe. Quirky personal statements that only Liberty can hear, by a star, or a planet, or the moon, or even ordinary objects, imbue this work with a certain something that lifts it out of the ordinary. Through her devotion to our planet, that is at the heart of her world and this narrative, her love and fascination with the universe, and her love of the environment, we realise that she is determined to make sense of her new situation. Glittering with emotions, both positive and negative, this exceptional story is as entertaining, evocative and brilliant as the world of stars itself. Teacher's notes are available.
Elizabeth Bondar

Three by Stephen Michael King

Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760664053. 32pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. In a world where he sees creatures with two legs or four or six and eight, even twelve, Three hops and skips through life, wondering at the creatures he sees, hoping that they stay safe in the city where he lives.
He is pleased that those with six legs live underground away from the stamping feet, happy for the eight legs to live in webs above the traffic; he is thankful he has no more legs than he can count, and is happy his legs are no longer than they need be.
But one day he skips out of the city to a place where there are fewer cars and here he finds animals with four legs and two horns, a bird with two legs that lays eggs, a furry animal with two large ears and even larger feet. But his best find is Fern a girl who gets down on her hands and knees and lifting one arm, pretends to have three legs, just like Three. She introduces him to other creatures he has not seen before: a hopping two legs, a flying four legs and even a no legs. Fern takes him inside to meet her mother and brother and together they make four.
This is a gloriously endearing book, one that will make every reader feel warm inside.
The story of friendship is outstanding. Fern and her family take Three in without question, he readily becomes part of the family, eating pancakes on Saturday, dressing up with the brother and singing with Fern. He has filled a spot in their lives just as he has found a family to call his own. And the rounding off of his three legs to make a foursome is a wonderful image for the readers to think about.
Counting the legs on the animals will tickle younger readers, as they take in Three's lack of a fourth leg, noting that he can do what he wants without the benefit of a fourth leg. They will thrill at the creatures in the story, working out what animal they may be from the number of legs, taking note of where they live.
King's detailed streetscapes, reflect the city through buildings and cars and people, but also the little animals that Three spots under the gaze of the people walking by. It begs the readers to look more closely at their environment, urging them not to miss things that are going on beneath their feet. In the country setting too, readers will begin to notice more than the text offers as they peruse each page more closely.
This multi-layered story with its wonderfully evocative watercolour illustrations, will be a often repeated read-aloud in homes, classrooms and libraries.
Themes: Dogs, Friendship, Legs, Family, Counting, Animals, Cities, Disability.
Fran Knight

How to write a great story by Caroline Lawrence

Piccadilly Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781848128149. pbk., 177 pgs.
(Age: 9+) I personally think this would be a great secondary and adult guide to writing too. I actually feel like writing a story now, so I will have this on my shelf in class so kids and I can use it as a reference. Bet it would get kids writing and enjoy doing so. I think every classroom should have a copy. I think it would get reluctant writers writing.
Caroline Lawrence visits school events and workshops talking to children and encouraging them to write. She has now managed to share her best tips in this illustrated guide to creative writing and storytelling for readers and writers aged 9+ and personally anyone at any age. I would recommend this for secondary and adult writers.
So loved reading Caroline Lawrence's guide to writing that I managed to read it in one sitting. Ok, ok a sitting and a half. It was very easy to read and enjoyable. Illustrations from Linzie Hunter in black and white were lively and added humour to the book.
I really enjoyed how Caroline wrote and pulled apart all kinds of stories and movies that the everyday person knows and relate to like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Incredibles, Star Wars just to name a few. Oh yeah, and lots about ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
She explores every aspect of writing, from brainstorming a setting, to creating an opponent and choosing your hero's greatest weakness, like an Achilles' heel. She teaches you about your left and right brain and she uses it. If you want to be a writer there is great advice in this book.
Caroline does mention her books in this guide and how she got ideas for the stories. I am so tempted to read the Roman Mysteries now and then watch the TV series they were made into.
How to write a great story is a must in every library and classroom. Bet it would get anyone writing.
Maria Komninos

Take heart, take action by Beci Orpin

Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419866. 24p.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. A bright beautifully designed book, the 20 catchy phrases in Take heart, take action will have readers determined to make the world a better place. The twenty ideas contained in this picture book are illustrated on a single page each and written on a solid colour background with the thick dark words inside a picture that signifies what the action means. The reader will see a yellow sun with the words 'Use Clean Energy' typed around it, the words 'Plant Trees' are inside a stylised tree, while 'Eat Less Meat' is inside a mushroom and 'Save Water' inside a green water drop.
The illustrations are strong and memorable as are the ideas and there is something there for every reader to take away. Ideas range from advice to be kind, show compassion, recycle, support local and ride a bike. At the back is a small picture of the advice and a paragraph describing what the phrase means and what could be done to put it into action. For example in 'Consume Less', the readers could buy less, or buy second hand, asking themselves if they really need the new item.
This book would make a wonderful aid for a library or classroom teacher or parent to display and discuss ideas with children. I can see it being used as a handbook to remind everyone what can be done to improve the Earth and that every individual can do something, even small, to make our planet a better place to live in.
Themes: Hope, Sustainability, Personal growth.
Pat Pledger

The dragon in the library by Louie Stowell

Nosy Crow, 2019. 224pp., pbk. ISBN: 9781788000260.
Kit can't stand reading. She'd much rather be outside, playing games and getting muddy, than stuck inside being quiet with a book. But when she's dragged along to the local library at the start of the school holiday by her two best friends, she makes an incredible discovery: the local library is run by wizards . . . and she's one too! The youngest wizard ever, in fact.
But someone is threatening to tear down the library and disturb the powerful magical forces living beneath it. And now it's up to Kit and her friends to save the library . . . and the world.
The first book in an exciting, imaginative and brilliantly funny new series, which Miss 8 curled up with on Christmas afternoon when it was too hot to be outside. Full of illustrations and written in short manageable chapters, it is a fast-paced story with the perfect mix of reality and fantasy to capture her imagination. It also captured mine and it sheds a new light on the value of both libraries and reading for those who think neither has anything of value for them.
This is the perfect book to recommend to teachers as the first read-aloud for the new school year to encourage students to investigate the magic in your school library.
Barbara Braxton

The sea and us by Catherine de Saint Phalle

Transit Lounge, 2019. ISBN: 9781925760415.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. The Sea and Us is a fish and chip shop, with rooms upstairs to let, and that is where Harold ends up, returning to Melbourne as a 36 year old, after spending 18 years in South Korea. Gradually we learn about why he walked out of his home as a young man, leaving behind his Czech mother, deserting her just as his father did years before. And we learn of his love for the beautiful Korean girl Ha-yoon, his apprenticeship with master potter Do-yun, and his friendship with street girl Marylou, and the wrinkled old man Sung-ki.
The old friends in Korea and the new friends Harold makes in Melbourne are like 'flotsam, jetsam, ligan and derelict'. They float in and out of his life, and he has to discover who can be rescued from abandonment, and who it is there is no hope of reclaiming.
It is a gentle story of kind people and genuine friendships that warm the heart. There are themes of abuse, deception and disappointment, but they are dealt with understanding and compassion, and the overall feeling one is left with is of the magical connection between people from many different walks of life. It is a treasure of a book, a pleasure to read.
Helen Eddy

Nop by Caroline Magerl

Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760651251.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. When Nop looks around him in the Dumporeum he sees lots of goods just like him: old and tattered, unsure of where they belong, crumpled, piled in heaps on the floor. But each night many tealights are lit and the others get out thread and buttons and sparkle and mend each other so when people come into the Dumporeum the next day, paper bags are filled with the mended toys. But Nop is left on the shelf: the buttons do not look right, the scarves are too big and the ribbon too long. He picks up a discarded bow tie from the litter which has fallen to the floor and puts it on, remarking that a bear with a bow tie can go anywhere, and so begins to plan.
Next morning he stitches together the scraps and rags and string until he has made a balloon which takes him over the houses until he spies a small green space and he leaps from the basket into the arms of a friend.
This charming tale of friendship, of never giving up, or making a plan will appeal to younger readers as they perhaps grapple with the idea of making friends. Nop flies long way away from his home in the Dumproreum to find a friend, making use of the rubbish around him. Readers will delight in the detail given in the ink and watercolour illustrations, searching for the lonely figure of Nop on each page. The soft hues underline the transient nature of the Dumporeum, and the impulse to sneeze at the dust and heaps of discarded clothes and toys tickled my nose.
The endpapers too are a treat for inquisitive eyes, working out just what is meant by dumporeum, and searching for one such shop in their own community.
Caroline Magerl is an author illustrator known for Maya and Cat, and Hasel and Rose, both books about hope. Classroom ideas are available.
Themes: Bears, Loneliness, Adventure, Decision making, Hope.
Fran Knight

The space we're in by Katya Balen

Illus. by Laura Carlin. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526610942.
(Age: Mid upper primary +) Highly recommended. Katya Balen's The Space We're In is a moving story about autism. The behaviours and the situations experienced by Max and his family members are perceptively painted. It would be a hard-hearted reader who could remain unmoved.
Autism is grounded in the life and world, universe and cosmos. It is a book about love, acceptance and joy. It's about where we all fit in and how love binds us together - that we are all made of stardust - and somehow everything makes sense like the existence of the Golden Ratio.
The story is told from the perspective of ten year old Frank. He is initially embarrassed by and ashamed of his brother, five year old autistic Max. He loves and protects Max but (before he learns to be proud) he joins others who deride Max. As if life isn't hard enough, his family is knocked for six with further tragedy. Somehow love prevails through time and the care of steadfast friends, family and community.
I want to lend this book to friends with autistic children. I want teachers to read this book to classes to build an empathy for disability and the lived experiences of families. It's a searingly sad but uplifting book. It helps us to understand our own part in community.
There is a lot a teacher could do with this book. Frank has an affinity for numbers. Code permeates the book. When deciphered, it forms chapter headings, which make a lot of sense e.g. meltdown, sorry, joy, fury, magic, wild, fight, treasure. A wordle created from the vocabulary would capture the essence of living with disability. Text to text background reading for children and teachers are Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt.
The illustrations by Laura Carlin, including quirky fonts and layouts, are in themselves, a soft and subtle visual journey that travels with the storyline.
Wendy Jeffery